What More Can I Give
by Sephiraw
Summary: In a world such as this one, a gift is rarely appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"A round over here, please!"

"Right here, lady!"

"C'mon, move it!"

Yuffie growled beneath the counter as she searched for the right whiskey, the right beer and the right smile to produce to the barbaric drunkards spitting orders at her. With tightly squinted eyes and a grin too big for her mouth Yuffie placed a drink in front of each of the men.

"There you go!"

She tossed her choppy black bangs to one side, sighing as she turned around. Out of the corner of her eye she caught the end of a ponytail disappearing back into the room down the hall, and a thump that was inaudible to most people in the bar caught her attention. She smiled to herself, wiping her hands on her apron.

_Persuading Tifa and Cloud to go on vacation had been hard_, she thought. They seemed to have already known that Yuffie wasn't cut out for this whole bartender business—that the rush of it all would be too overbearing, that she couldn't differentiate liquor from goat's milk, and more importantly that she was impatient.

Even now Yuffie could feel the unholiest of words clinging to the end of her tongue, barricaded behind her pearly white smile. But for the most part, Yuffie was keeping her mouth shut during business hours. She would prove Cloud and Tifa wrong. She would prove to them that she could keep this business going—no, any business, at that!

A determined smirk was replaced by a slightly smaller, more inward determination. They weren't the only ones who needed proof.

Even _she_ could hardly believe the situation that she'd gotten herself into. From day one, Yuffie had began to feel like the whole thing had been a mistake. Ever since she'd left Wutai, nothing she set her mind to turned out the way it should have. _But this _has_ to be different_, she thought. _I can do this. _

_I can._

"Hey, Lady."

Yuffie was drawn out of her reverie by the fattest man at the counter, who sat wobbling dangerously behind three empty pints and countless shot glasses.

"You waitin' for this drink to wear off or sumthin'?"

"E-Excuse me?" Yuffie unclenched her fists, strapping a harness and a muzzle over the Wutai ninja that wanted to jump over the counter and send a swift kick and a shower of shurikens around the entire room.

"I _said_ am I g-gonna be sober again before you get off your...your _ass_ and get me anoth—an—another drink!"

Her movements were deliberate as she grabbed another pint, filled it, and slammed it on the counter, not really giving a damn about the half of the drink that sloshed out of the mug and into the man's lap.

"Enjoy."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

The shhhhh-_ink! _of the sword sliding back into it's sheath behind him caused him to flinch on the ground. He looked behind him at the figure, the spitting image of death itself.

The general approached him, walking down th trail of blood, a red carpet boasting to the greatest extent his infamous ability to strike pain and fear upon every being he came in contact with.

He turned back over on his stomach, wincing in the dizzying pain as he pulled himself on his elbows, knowing it was hopeless but knowing even more that he didn't want to feel that blade against his body again.

The general's shadow fell over him, and he clenched his fingers around the grass, a gesture proving to be useless as well. The grass ripped up in his fists as the general lifted him from the ground by the back of his collar, turning him around so he could see the smirk on his face.

His fists loosened, and the blades of grass whipped around the two of them.

"You've got...masamune," he snarled weakly through clenched and bloody teeth. "What else...do you want?"

The general tilted his head and chuckled, sending a rapid series of chills over his suspended figure.

"What _I _want?" The general placed the sharp edge of masamune against his cheek, his green eyes following the slow trickle of blood down the sword momentarily before carelessly making their way back up to the eyes of the same catlike mystique.

"What _I_ want is hardly important. It's what..._Mother_ wants that truly matters."

"Absurd!" He struggled against the grip that had somehow moved from his collar to his neck. "Listen to me—You're acting like a complete imbecile! Mother doesn't love you, she doesn't love any of us!"

The general closed his eyes and gave him a relaxed shrug. "I figured you would say something like that."

"She used us to get to you, and she used you to get rid of us! Mother wants us _all_ dead!"

The blade was lowered to his neck. He grabbed hold of the general's wrist and looked him in the eye, pleading with him to come to his senses.

"Sephiroth!"

The general's eyes snapped up to his face, a demonic smile reflecting off of masamune as Sephiroth observed the fear on his face.

"You ignorant bastard!" he shouted, getting hardly more than a blink from Sephiroth, who refused to react towards such inaccurate accusations. "Don't you understand?"

"Don't _you_?"

"Sephiroth—big brother, _please—_"

"Like I said before," he interrupted. A large, black wing emerged from his back as he spoke. "It's what Mother wants...that truly matters."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"Phew!" Yuffie let out a huge sigh as the last customer slammed the door behind them pack of them, the drunken laugher muffled on the other side of the door. She lifted herself to sit on the counter, cleaning the seemingly endless line of shot glasses. Her eyes flickered to the cabinets in front of her.

"I heard you," she called. "And I saw you around the corner earlier."

"Aww, man!" Along with a few dishes, Marlene tumbled out from behind the cabinet door. "I was really quiet this time!"

Yuffie waggled a finger at her. "Not quiet enough."

Marlene looked confused for a moment, and then smiled. "I bet you didn't see Denzel."

"Huh?" Before Yuffie could look around, she was knocked off of the counter from behind. She yelled as she fell to the floor, Denzel flopping down on her back.

"Gotcha!"

"We win, Yuffie!"

"So it may seem," Yuffie said slowly, a sneaky smirk crossing over her face. "But the greatest Wutai ninja warrior ever always has her smoke and mirrors!"

She rolled Denzel off of her, and with one swift movement she had both kids laughing hysterically on the floor as she mercilessly tickled them into submission.

"Okay!" Denzel laughed. "Okay, okay!"

"You win, Yuffie, you win!"

She sat back on her knees and placed her hands on her hips. "Ha! I knew I would—Hey!"

Before she could finish, four tiny hands were at her sides.

"Knock it off!" she cried out, trying to talk between the giggling. "Real...ninjas...aren't...ticklish!"

The kids laughed, ruthless with their torture. "You...little...cheaters!" Yuffie laughed. "Just wait...I'm...gonna—"

The game was cut short by the sound of the doorknob twisting. The kids looked at Yuffie, who placed a finger to her lips. She peeked slowly over the top of the counter and gave a short surprised scream as her eyes met the with ruby red ones.

"Vincent!"

"What are you doing?"

"Uh..." She looked over her shoulder at Marlene and Denzel. "We were...I was...training them!"

"Training them?" Vincent said doubtfully.

"Secret ninja training," she said with a wave of her hand as she stood up. "You wouldn't understand. What are you doing here so late?"

"I needed to talk to you."

The kids laughed. They'd heard Yuffie muttering about Vincent plenty of times in her sleep. At the sound of their laughter Yuffie's cheeks burned red.

"Go on!" she yelled, jamming a finger in the direction of the small stairway. "Go to your room!"

They went, Denzel with a knowing grin on his face and Marlene in a fit of giggles. Yuffie scowled after them, and then gave Vincent a sheepish grin.

"So, uh, what's up? Is it about—"

"Cloud called today."

"Oh, good!" Yuffie reached for another shot glass. "It's about time he used that phone...Are they having fun?"

She looked up at Vincent, who wasn't smiling at all. "What's wrong?" she frowned.

Vincent glared at her for a short moment longer before sighing and shaking his head. "Yuffie...Cloud told me some weird things have been happening lately."

"What kind of weird things?"

She waited for an answer, but when it didn't come she turned around. Once again, those red eyes were examining her. She suddenly grew angry.

"Well did you come here to talk to me or stare me to death, Vinny?"

His eye twitched at the nickname, but she was right. He had come to confront her about what was going on.

"He thinks someone is trying to get rid of him. And Tifa as well. Someone's been following them, and they've been shot at twice."

"Oh, Gaia!" Yuffie's hand went to her mouth. "Are they alright?"

"They're fine. Cloud has reasons to believe that ShinRa is behind it all. Yuffie..." He rounded the counter and stood beside her. Yuffie grew uncomfortable as Vincent took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.

"Vincent?"

"Yuffie listen to me. I need you to tell me the truth...do you know anything about this?"

"No, I—Hold on..." She glared up at him, feeling betrayed. "What the _hell_, Vincent! You think that I set them _up_?"

From the way he lowered his eyes away from her, she assumed the answer was yes.

"Bastard!" she spat out as she tried to shove him away.

"Yuffie!" He caught her wrist before she passed him, and pulled her back towards him firmly.

"Let _go_ of me!"

She wrenched away from him again, this time making it past him and up to Tifa's room, slamming the door and locking it just before he could twist the knob.

"Dammit..." Vincent twisted the knob furiously. "Yuffie!"

He looked over his shoulder. Denzel and Marlene's worried eyes peeked around the doorway. Vincent sighed heavily, pressing his forehead against the door.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"This is crazy." Kadaj glowered at his feet as he trudged back to the base.

"Aw, come on, little bro," Loz said throwing an arm around his brother's neck. "They look great! And look at mine!"

Kadaj turned his head away from Loz's new boots, which were far better than his own, which hardly fit at all and looked like they'd been worn previously. Several times.

"If you're going to get me a gift," he snapped. "Make sure I'll be able to use it longer than a few days. These are terrible!"

He felt a slight hint of regret as Loz fell silent beside him, but it faded quickly. "And don't you even _think _about crying."

"I thought you would like them," he said, his voice strained as he choked back the tears. "They're just like the ones you had before! The ones Yazoo got you for our birthday. They're the same size and everything!"

"Exactly, Loz," Kadaj shook his head, gripping the bridge of his nose. "They... are the same... size. When I say I need a new pair of boots, that means that the ones I _already_ have are probably... too... _small_! _They don't fit_!"

Loz frowned at him. He hadn't even thanked him at all. Was it ever the thought that counted? He felt more tears surfacing. He could never do anything right when it came to gifts, but he was never appreciated for trying. No amount of his money could buy a "Thank you, Loz!" or a, "Loz, this is very thoughtful of you!"

It seemed as if he could only afford a "Next time get it right, Loz!" or a, "This is beyond useless, Loz!" _or_, if he'd really been saving up, a "Loz, this is horrible; I hate it! Yazoo, get rid of this!"

He shuddered. Those ones were _always_ really expensive.

In the clearing he wiped his tears and looked around.

"Something's not..."

"Right," Kadaj finished. He was the first to realize it, as he'd stopped earlier than Loz had. He squinted down at the base, unsure of what it might be, but knowing it was worse than it seemed as usual. It wasn't Yazoo's cooking, but there was a tainted smell in the air. Not the burning smell, or the stench of unattended waste when Loz had skipped his chores. It wasn't the singed electricity after their heated battles and disagreements; no, it was something more _familiar_, but far less _frequent—_

"I smell blood."

Very good Loz. Kadaj snatched souba from its sheath and continued down the hill. "Loz, go and find Yazoo," he ordered. "He may be in trouble. I'll look around out here."

Loz nodded and held up his left arm as he followed his brother the rest of the way down, the handle of dual hound snapping into his grip. When Kadaj continued forward, Loz turned and entered the base cautiously.

Kadaj stepped carefully and painfully around one of the ghastly trees, muttering curses to Loz for making him so uncomfortable. The smell was fading the farther he got, but the trail was undoubtedly present. He took a mental note of this in his mind before moving back to the strength of the smell.

"Yazoo? Hey, Yazoo?"

No answer came to Loz, save for the sound of his own echoing voice. He went into the kitchen and was surprised to see it empty, with no ready dinner waiting on the table. Trekking past the table to the fridge, he grabbed a chocobo cola and popped the top as he continued his search.

He went up the staircase that rounded all along the outer edge of the main room. After checking the bathroom and all of the closets (who knows?) he headed down the hall to the bedrooms.

He gulped down half of the chocobo cola as he opened the door to Kadaj's room. He scanned it from the doorway, the thought of stepping inside not even crossing his mind, after visually examining the scattered leather garments and the crumpled sheets and blankets, and kneeling to check beneath the bed, he closed the door with a sigh of relief.

Next was Yazoo's room. He walked straight through the doorway, seeing as the door was already wide open. His eyes grew wide as they took in the shattered window. He quickly rounded the immaculate bed and saw a velvet nightmare on the floor in several pieces. He picked up the butt of the gun by the chocobo key chain.

"My gun?" His eyes stung as he whirled around to the window and stuck his head through the opening, examining the glass in the frame. He squinted at a glint of silver, blowing in the breeze like a rogue spiderweb. Reaching out as delicately as he could manage, he pinched the hair tightly between his thumb and forefinger, letting it fly in the wind so as to better examine its full length. Shock hit him so hard that he dropped his chocobo cola.

Kadaj knelt down and picked up the gun, not really needing to inspect it to know it was Yazoo's. This alone confirmed what he'd figured all along—Yazoo was gone, and probably not on his own accord.

As he examined the bloody fragments of glass his eyes found a trail of blood leading away from it. He took a step forward, just as something came crashing down behind him. His reflexes caused him to turn, souba already up and defending him. A dark, amber fluid splashed up to his face, drenching his clothes and his hair, much to his disliking. On the ground rested a fizzing can of chocobo cola, and when he turned his glare towards the sky, a spiky head was gazing down at him.

"Kadaj!"

"Baka!"

Loz flinched from the insult before launching himself through the window and landing beside Kadaj, the fragments of glass jumping up a few inches at their feet.

"Kadaj, look at this." He held up the strand of hair.

Kadaj's eyes trailed down the hair from one end to the next as it fluttered over the bloody trail to nowhere. Loz watched as the confident and devilish degenerate drained from his little brother to be replaced with an intimidated and petrified juvenile. This alone scared Loz more than much of anything he'd found in the house, and a series of shivers sprinted down his back. Kadaj's voice shook as he uttered a single word, a name. A name that chilled his veins and paralyzed his heart.

"Sephiroth."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"Yuffie, please listen to me."

"How could you think that, Vincent? All I wanted was for Cloud and Tifa to _finally _have a good time, and _you—_"

"I was the one who stood up for you!" Vincent's gauntlet pounded against the door, shattering a hole through the hard wood. Yuffie took in a breath of surprise as she turned. Vincent's face frowned at her through the door.

"Let me explain."

It seemed funny to her that he was still asking, after busting a hole through the door, but Yuffie rose reluctantly from the bed. His face disappeared from the opening as he stood up, and Yuffie let him in.

"You'd better not be lying to me," she said, dropping back down on the bed. Vincent sat next to her and unfolded her arms taking both hands in his own. She was unaccustomed to the side of Vincent that he was presenting to her, but Yuffie didn't retreat from him, nor did she soften the accusing stare she was giving him.

"Cloud and Tifa brought up the idea that you might be working with ShinRa to get rid of them."

"But they _know_ I would never—"

"They feel as if your dedication to Reno might have surpassed your dedication to your other friendships."

"I would _never_ even think of putting my friends in danger!"

"But Reno would, Yuffie." Vincent said firmly. "And I didn't refuse them the justice for believing so. I did, however, defend you as best as I could."

"_Vincent, it can't be a coincidence. It just can't be."_

"_Cloud, listen. I know it seems clear enough, but...Yuffie's heart is bigger than that. She loves you both, more than you know."_

"_She loves Reno."_

"_...She wouldn't do this Cloud."_

"_Say what you want, but until we can be sure, I need to ask you a favor."_

"_Alright."_

"_We left Yuffie at the bar with Denzel and Marlene. Until we can be sure of her loyalty to us, I'd rather not have her there with them alone."_

"_You want me to babysit?"_

"_I'm asking you as a friend, Vincent."_

"_...Ugh; alright Cloud. Alright. But I want you two to do me a favor as well—think really hard about your accusations. Yuffie cares about you; she sees how hard the two of you work to keep life together and produce a safe haven for everyone else. This vacation is her thanks to you all. You've given her more than anyone else ever has, and she wants to give back. No amount of infatuation can handicap her judgment so far as to do what you both are accusing her of. A relationship with Reno is a small piece of her world in comparison to her relationship with the two of you. If he ever asked her to...you know she would end it with him. At least I do."_

"_We'll think about it. We'll call you if anything happens."_

Silence followed after Vincent recalled the phone call. He could feel her eyes on him, and suddenly she was right beside him. He turned to look at her, and her eyelashes brushed against his cheeks. Her lips lingered on his own for a moment before he pulled away. Her eyes opened, and she giggled at his bewilderment. Another giggle came from the hole in the door, and Yuffie and Vincent turned just in time to see a long braided ponytail disappear down the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Cloud hung up the phone and tossed it uselessly to the other side of the room.

"Well?" Tifa's quiet voice questioned from behind him. He leaned back on the bed, resting his head against her chest with a heavy sigh.

"Same conversation I had with Vincent last night," he muttered. "Barret doesn't think Yuffie would do it, and neither does Cid, not even _Red_ thinks so."

"Maybe we're just overreacting," Tifa suggested, stroking Cloud's spiky hair. "Cloud, listen—I know I was the one who suggested it in the first place, but the more we talk about this the more ridiculous it sounds."

Cloud stared straight ahead. "I just..."

Tifa moved from behind him to look into his eyes. "I know it's hard for you to trust people, but let's give her another chance. She'll prove herself to us, I know she will. But she can't do that unless we make an effort to believe in her."

Cloud lowered his head, and Tifa sighed. She placed a hand on each side of his face, raising it back to her own.

"You can trust _me_, right?"

"Of course I can."

She kissed him, feeling his body relax as arm slid around her waist. Her hands dropped to his chest, his body now supporting hers. She opened her eyes and waited patiently for Cloud's to open and meet with hers, piercing amber pressing softly against imploring azure.

"Then trust me when I say this—Yuffie is our friend."

Cloud closed his eyes again. It couldn't be that easy, and Tifa knew that. But she was right—he had to at least try. He was one for falling keen to suggestions, when his trust of others was already on a short leash. Even though Tifa was the first to voice her suspicions against Yuffie, she hadn't been the first to suspect her of anything. From the day he'd seen the tickets, Cloud was curious as to reasons beyond those voiced by Yuffie herself—reasons along the lines of 'relaxing and having some time to themselves' leveled off more along the lines of 'getting Cloud and Tifa out of the way'. When he was young he wasn't used to friendships, and now that he had so many he didn't know how to deal with all of them at once. Anyone could be an enemy; anything could be a trap, or a set-up.

Anyone and anything except Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene. His family.

"Cloud?"

He opened his eyes and his senses alerted to the beauty of Tifa, to her eyes, her lips, her hair as it brushed lightly against his bare chest.

"I trust you."

He guided her chin closer and kissed her again.


End file.
